Author's Note: Okay. I don't know what I'm doing—the end goal is just to get Ciel and Alois to be friends so this is just my journey to get to that point. Follow along if you want; feel free to give me any suggestions. This story takes from Kuroshitsuji Season 2 and Kuroshitsuji Season 1, as well as the manga, but doesn't really follow any of them. :/ This story follows the assumption that Luka never makes his demon deal. Alois's contract with Claude has either not been made yet, or he never summoned him at all.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of the characters involved. All rights go to Yana Toboso.

The maids bustling around him barely touch him, blotchy purpled skin caressed only by the silk kimono they wrap him in. He doesn't know if they don't touch him because they've been ordered to, or because he would likely lash out.

Or because they're disgusted by him.

The thought makes him want to laugh, so he does. It's a hysteric little thing; it makes the maids' movements more frantic, somehow, which makes him laugh more.

He knows his position in the Trancy family is precarious, but leaned in his favor. Almost everyone wants him gone, except for the lord himself. Jim is the most prized, out of all of them. He plays his cards right; he can get what he wants. Everyone knows this.

He's not rebuked for his laughter; he's not scolded when he asks—orders—for his brother. One of the maids immediately rush out of the room.

He stands above almost everyone else, except for the lord himself.

His laughter only grows.

Luka bounces through the hallways, smiling as one of the maids he passes lightly scolds him for his lack of etiquette. He apologizes with a bright "Sorry!" and continues on his way, not bouncing anymore. He starts humming to himself instead, holding the box in his arms carefully. He has no idea what's in it, but one of the maids had hurried him towards Lord Trancy's rooms, nearly begging him to take it to Jim in her place. He had agreed, eager to see his brother.

Luka knows Jim is the only reason he's in the manor at all. It was no secret the power Jim held over Lord Trancy, and Lord Trancy had decided that he needed a personal assistant. It was the perfect opportunity, and Jim had taken it. Or so he had told Luka. The look on Jim's face had gotten the way it did when Luka asked about his bruises, so Luka hadn't questioned him.

Luka also knows that Lord Trancy hates him, but thinks he's necessary. His brother is the enemy of every servant in the manor, and Lord Trancy can't do much about it besides ordering them to treat his brother well. They still hate him, and that's why Luka gets the jobs of carrying things to Jim whenever the servants get the chance to pass them off. Luka always takes the jobs—why miss an opportunity to be by his brother's side? —and he thinks that's why the servants really like him. It makes him "ir-re-place-able"; Jim says. The servants don't have to test Jim's wrath, Jim doesn't have to pretend to be nicer than he is; it's all because of Luka's involvement. Luka's not really sure about that, but he wants to stay by his brother's side for as long as he can, so he always does his best.

He arrives at the proper doors, clumsily shifting the box to one arm so he can knock twice with the other hand—as is the polite way, one of the maids had told him fondly—and questioning "Your Highness?"

He gets a soft "Come in," in response, so he opens the door and enters, letting it slam shut behind him.

Several of the maids around Jim look at him exasperatedly and he winces. They had taught him how to properly close the door just yesterday, so he says a sheepish "Sorry, I forgot." They all shake their heads, but he sees smiles on some of their faces. He grins, turning to his brother. Once he sees him, he grins wider.

Jim looks at him curiously. "What?"

Luka shakes his head. "Nothing, you just look like royalty!"

Jim glances down at himself before moving to a mirror leaning on a wall. He hums. "I suppose I do." He turns to Luka and beckons him forward. Luka goes, and the remaining maids take that as a signal to leave, bowing shallowly before filing out of the room.

He stops just short of Jim and kneels on one knee, balancing the box on his leg. "Yes, Your Highness?"

His brother preens and Luka smiles. No one besides him is allowed to refer to Jim as "your highness". He doesn't say anything though, simply taking the box from Luka's knee and opening it. Luka looks up at him curiously and sees his face twisted in disgust. Jim glances at him and answers the unspoken question. "More jewelry," he spits.

Luka frowns. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Jim scowls. "If I could sell them, yes, but he actually expects to see me in the bloody things, so no."

Luka tilts forward a little, peering into the box consideringly as Jim shifts it so he can see better. He doesn't see a problem with the diamond necklace or the glittering spider earrings. They'll match the silver embroidery on Jim's kimono. "But they'll make you look more like a Princess!"

He tilts his head consideringly. "They will…"

Luka beams. "Isn't that great?"

Jim watches him for a moment before nodding. "I guess so." He pulls the necklace out, carefully handing it to Luka. "Help me put it on?" Luka nods, standing to circle his brother, looping the necklace around the front of his neck. Jim takes out the earrings in the meantime, setting the box down on the floor. Luka does the clasp on the necklace, then takes the earrings from Jim. He realizes they're very sneakily clip-ons. He grins, opening them to carefully attach to Jim's ears.

Jim grins. "Happy?"

Luka finishes with the earrings and bounces to stand in front of Jim. "Of course! You're here!"

Jim smirks. "Of course."

Jim nearly snarls after Luka leaves with the jewelry box, hackles raised. He doesn't like today. He doesn't like most days, but today is just different enough to make him suspicious.

It's not strange that Jim is in Lord Trancy's room, but it's strange that he was told to go back in when he stepped out of them. Which means that he's supposed to wait for someone to get him.

It's not strange that he's been given jewelry, but it's been delivered to him. Which means he's supposed to wear it.

It's not strange that he's been given fine clothes, but it's strange that it's a gold kimono. Which means he's supposed to wear it.

Jim doesn't like being told what to do. Not even indirectly. This is probably why the servant meant to deliver the jewelry box let Luka do it, since Jim had already sneered at the servants who brought him the kimono. Everything brought for him to wear today made him look more feminine than usual, meaning that weasel has some kind of plan for today that Jim's supposed to play into, whether it includes the bedroom or the ballroom.

Jim isn't sure what the Lord Trancy is up to, but he's fairly certain it has to do with the slight change in décor. The curtains are a darker shade of red than usual, making the usually ostentatious gold walls look muted and dreary. He hated the previous color theme, but he thinks he hates this one more, which is quite the feat.

He's figured out that there's a guest today—a rather important one too, if he was willing to change the colors for them. Jim has pointed out to Lord Trancy many times that he'd like the décor changed— "Don't these walls make me look ghostly?" "Isn't this a much nicer shade of red?"—and the most that had happened was the servants changing the bedsheets to a, admittedly, gorgeous shade of purple.

He's also figured out that Lord Trancy intends to keep him hidden away for the rest of today, so he figures that it must be a rather powerful important guest.

Jim grins.

He just might be able to make something happen.